1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to golfing equipment and particularly to equipment for improving the golfers execution of a conventional golf stroke.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is generally accepted in the art of golfing that the "swing arm", which is the right arm for right-handed golfers and the left arm for left-handed golfers, should be maintained close to the body. As a result, various prior art devices are known which feature harnesses, belts, and loops for restraining the arms. See for example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,808,267 to Heaton "Golf Practice, Arm Restraint"; U.S. Pat. No. 3,970,316 to Westmorland, Jr., "Golf Swing Restrictor" and; U.S. Pat. No. 3,419,277 to Martin "Elbow Bend Restraining Means". Other training aids for restricting arm movement are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,679,214, to Boyte, "Golf Club Swing Training Aid"; U.S. Pat. No. 2,093,153 to McCarthy, "Practice Device For Golfers". U.S. Pat. No. 3,324,851 also shows an arm restraining device having a body encircling belt and arm restraining loops.
Rather than restraining the arms, the present invention has as an object the provision of a swing aid for improving the swing of the golfer which encircles the shoulders. This device was designed and created to help a golfer create the movement and therefore the feeling of a one piece swing. After a player has been helped to establish the actual feeling of a one piece swing, it is much easier to repeat the action without wearing the device.
The one piece swing is created when a golfer uses the large muscles of his back and thighs in controlling the consistency of the swing. Since the large muscles of both the back and thighs are also the strongest muscles in a players body, they have a very limited range of motion, allowing them to move consistently in two directions, back and through. Contrarily, the hands, arms and shoulders contain a multitude of smaller muscles used for detail work. These smaller muscles are able to move in literally hundreds, possibly thousands of directions, making it a much more difficult task to develop consistency of movement. The device of the invention makes it nearly impossible for the player to swing the club with anything except the body, aiding in the development of the desired swing movement.